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as in firebrand
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent
blamed the protests on outside incendiaries who were intent on overthrowing the government
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in provocative
tending to excite political disorder or insurrection
recklessly made incendiary remarks during a period of heightened racial tensions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of incendiary
Brad Lendon, CNN, 7 Sep. 2024
But the only traditional incendiaries in the story are the radical Protestant preacher Anne Askew (Erin Doherty), a friend of Katherine’s, and Henry’s minion, Bishop Stephen Gardiner, played by an inquisitorial Simon Russell Beale.
—Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 14 June 2024
Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Less than 24 hours after making those incendiary comments about a job title and more, Amorim was removed from his post.
—Stuart James, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incendiary
Noun
Ukrainian officers also accused Russia of using incendiaries in attacks on the city of Bakhmut last year.
—Adjective
Miller is now acting as an accelerant for the president’s most incendiary impulses and shaping the lives of individual Americans in nearly every realm.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for incendiary
Noun
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Although self-described as more of a defensive player, the 6-foot-2 point guard was still expected to take the torch from graduating assist-machine Alvaro Cardenas and continue a tradition of team-leading floor generals under head coach Leon Rice.—
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In long-winter states up north, many parks light cross-country and snowshoe trails with torches or electric lights to keep people active outdoors even when workdays begin and end in the dark.—
Noun
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Stephen Miller is a MAGA firebrand who in his formal capacity, as deputy chief of staff and homeland security adviser, shouldn’t play any role in foreign policy.—
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Pratt, who long cultivated a clownish and villainous persona, leveraged his significant social media presence following the fire to refashion himself as an earnest mix of citizen watchdog and populist firebrand.—
Adjective
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Clothing with offensive language, political messaging, or provocative graphics can violate airline dress codes, which are designed to maintain passenger comfort and safety.—
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In 2024, Roberto De Zerbi had his own press conference moments at Brighton that seemed as provocative, if not more so, than anything Amorim or Enzo Maresca recently said.—
Noun
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Last December, armed rebels previously aligned with terror groups finally ousted Assad from power after a 14 year civil war.—
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There was a buffer zone where French soldiers were and then the north was held by rebel groups.—
Adjective
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Lopez rushed her back to the emergency room, where an MRI revealed a diagnosis of transverse myelitis, a rare inflammatory disorder affecting the spinal cord.—
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His resignation comes after last month's trial in which inflammatory texts Phelps sent during contentious revenue-sharing negotiations were revealed.—
Noun
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While many are now driven primarily by economic interests, a subset retains insurgent, ant-imperialist commitments.—
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That could mean tightening sanctions on remaining power brokers, expanding strikes against security installations and militias, covertly supporting insurgent factions, and using Maduro’s prospective trial as a global stage on which to delegitimize Chavismo once and for all.—
Noun
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At worst, the government has invited in a provocateur who will continue to spread poison and incite violence.—
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This same climate, however, allowed for vicious attacks on a provocateur from their side who had just been killed in cold blood.—
Noun
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Where is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Zohran Mamdani and the rest of the radical fringe left who take every opportunity to demagogue and slander Israel, and yet not one word about Iran?—
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In turn, the erosion of trust has weakened the social contract that sustains representative government, leaving democracies more vulnerable to populist demagogues, institutional paralysis, and the gradual normalization of authoritarian alternatives.—
Cite this Entry
“Incendiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incendiary. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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